Ukrainian troops must be trained before Taurus missile transfer, expert says

German political scientist Sergej Sumlenny, director of the European Resilience Initiative Center, shared the information on Espreso TV.

He explained that "Ukrainian troops need proper training before receiving Taurus missiles. Back in November, Friedrich Merz urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to start this training. At that time, Merz was the opposition leader, and Scholz was chancellor."

During a Bundestag debate, Merz openly called on Scholz to begin the training so that if a future chancellor approved the transfer of Taurus missiles, they could be delivered without delay. Scholz replied, “How did you get the idea that Germany will have a different chancellor than me?” Sumlenny recalled.

According to Sumlenny, the Ukrainian military should be trained now so that nothing blocks the Taurus transfer later.

“If there’s political will, the training can be organized very quickly. Just look at how fast the SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles were transferred once the decision was made. Even technical issues, like launching from Soviet Su-type aircraft, which was previously said to be impossible, have been solved. They found a way to make the systems work together. If there’s a will, there’s always a way,” Sumlenny said.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany, along with the U.S., France, and the UK, has lifted range restrictions on weapons used by Ukraine.